Seniors invited to make their health rights

“Do you have health rights. Make them respect, “insisted the Federation of assistance centers and accompanying complaints (FCAAP) at its national awareness campaign which was visiting Sherbrooke Monday.

With funding of $ 170,529 over three years from the Minister responsible for Seniors, Francine Charbonneau, the FCAAP tackles an important problem: the failure to respect the rights of seniors in the health field.

“The most retracted law, the right to information. For example a person comes to the emergency, asked if she has insurance, they put it in a private or semi-private. Confused by his situation, the person does not know what to answer and after it is given a bill saying ” we put you in a private room because you told us that you had insurance ” and finally it does is not. That’s defend its rights, “says Serge Arel, CAAP Director General of the Eastern Townships.

Last year, there were 40,000 complaints across the province in the health and social services. Fifteen percent of them were supported by an assistance center and accompanying complaints whose mission is to support users in their denunciation process by giving them information and advice. The CAAP Estrie has supported nearly 250 cases last year.

“Ultimately, the big goal is to improve services. I wish that we one day disappear because there are more complaints, “adds jokingly Serge Arel.

Stakeholders believe that the fear of retaliation is the biggest obstacle in the disclosure process, a fear that is unfounded.

“When it’s their environment, it is certain that people have more fear of reprisals, but we told them not to be afraid. The complaint review system is not intended to blame someone, but aims to correct a situation by providing training to the attendant for it to be able to act more carefully for example, or to give a reminder compared to the Protocol to someone, “says Manon Fortin, Executive Director of the Federation of CAAP.

“In the law, it is clearly stated that people do not have the right of retaliation. But I would say that the fear is there more that there was retaliation. In real life, retaliation is not known or very little. I have seldom been cases in 16 years, “says Arel.